LATINO LEADERS CALL FOR PROBE OF REPORTED VOTER HARASSMENT.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

A dozen Latino leaders called Thursday for a federal probe into whether newly naturalized citizens are being illegally discouraged from voting by statements and tactics of Gov. Pete Wilson and immigration-reform groups.

In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) officials charged that Wilson has intimidated voters by making statements alleging voter fraud and threatening immigrant voters with investigations.

The issue emerged last month when Wilson publicly accused the Immigration and Naturalization Service of expediting citizenship applications to boost Democratic voter registration. He said the INS had relaxed requirements for FBI background checks and charged that criminals may be improperly gaining citizenship and the right to vote.

``While tactics such as coercion and intimidation may be commonplace on election day in other parts of the world,'' said state Sen. Richard Polanco, D-Los Angeles, ``this is America and as Americans we will not stand for it.''

Polanco released the letter to Reno at a downtown news conference where he was joined by Assemblywoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, Rep. Xavier Becerra, county Supervisor Gloria Molina, Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Hernandez and Los Angeles school board members George Kiriyama and Vickie Castro.

Representatives of Wilson did not return calls seeking comment.

Nancy Ramirez, an attorney with MALDEF, said her agency sent the letter to the Justice Department on Thursday, demanding an investigation into voter-intimidation tactics in California.

She singled out the immigrant reform group, Voice of Citizens Together, alleging that volunteers associated with the Sherman Oaks-based group and other groups had plans to wait outside polling stations Tuesday holding signs that say, ``Only citizens can vote! Violators will be prosecuted!''

Glenn Spencer of Voice of Citizens Together said Thursday that his organization has given a couple of hundred people, mostly in the San Fernando Valley, signs that say ``Only citizens can vote.''

He denied that the fliers warn of prosecution, as claimed by MALDEF. A copy sent to the Daily News says in English and Spanish, ``Only Citizens May Vote.''

``We don't say anything about prosecution or intimidation,'' Spencer said, adding that people have been told that to obey the law they must stay 100 feet away from the voting place.

In her letter to Reno, Ramirez charged that statements made two weeks ago by Wilson and Secretary of State Bill Jones regarding the lack of background checks and raising the specter of voter fraud ``is in clear violation'' of the federal Voting Rights Act, which prohibits intimidation of any person exercising his or her right to vote.

The letter said Wilson and Jones ``engaged in voter intimidation of newly naturalized and registered citizens by issuing inflammatory and baseless statements to the press accusing these citizens of voter fraud, and threatening these new citizens with removal from the voter rolls and with federal investigation prior to the upcoming election.''

Jones also disputed MALDEF's criticism of him.

``I think that's just ridiculous,'' he said. ``Anybody who knows my career knows I have done everything possible to encourage all people of all parties to vote.''

However, Jones said he had a responsibility to challenge the efforts to push through citizenships without proper FBI checks so that people could be registered to vote in time for this election.

The citizenship push was ``obviously flawed,'' he said, adding ``You should not be shortcutting the process.''

MALDEF charged that Wilson's statements have ``instigated'' Voice of Citizens Together and an Orange County group called California Coalition for Immigration Reform to plan ``widespread voter intimidation directed at newly naturalized citizens.''

MALDEF sent a letter to Spencer of Voice of Citizens Together, warning him that federal law prohibits intimidation of voters, while state law prohibits using a ``tactic of coercion or intimidation'' to affect a voter.

In a letter back to MALDEF, which MALDEF released, Spencer wrote ``Got your warning and your advice. My advice to you? GO FLY A KITE.''

In an interview, he cautioned that those planning to hold signs and pass out fliers are doing so on their own.

``We've given some signs to our members to use as they see fit,'' Spencer said. ``It's strictly voluntary. We can't control this.''

Spencer said the activity is in response to a flier distributed by the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project to immigrants that spells out all of the requirements to register to vote, but leaves out that voters must be a U.S. Citizen.

That flier could cause many noncitizens to go to the polls even though new state law has toughened the penalties for those who vote illegally, Spencer said.

``Suddenly, thousands of people may be jeopardizing their ability to stay in this country because of this misinformation,'' Spencer said.

In the MALDEF letter to Reno, Ramirez wrote that the tactics planned by Spencer's group are reminiscent of activities by the Orange County Republican Party in 1988 when uniformed security guards were sent to polling places with signs urging noncitizens not to vote.

``This type of intimidation tactic is illegal and calculated to harass and intimidate voters, particularly minority and newly naturalized citizen voters,'' Ramirez wrote, asking federal prosecutors to seek ``appropriate relief'' enjoining Wilson and private groups from intimidation tactics.

Justice Department spokesman Myron Marlin confirmed that his agency has received the letter from MALDEF and was ``reviewing it.''

The Latino leaders also leveled criticism at Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole, pointing to a radio advertisement that began airing Thursday charging that President Clinton, in his efforts to register new voters, has forced through more than a million applications for citizenship by weakening safeguards so that thousands with criminal backgrounds are being let into the country.

Dole's California press secretary, Dale Neugebauer, disputed the criticism of Latino activists, saying the candidate is raising an issue of legitimate concern.

``There are legitimate concerns about whether or not thousands of persons naturalized as citizens and who are convicted criminals should be voting in this election,'' Neugebauer said.